The Health Ministry has denounced reports that alleged that India’s central procurement agency, Central Medical Services Society (CMSS), failed in procuring contraceptives for the country’s family planning programme.
Such reports are ill-informed and provides misleading information, the Ministry said, informing that CMSS procured 5.88 crores pieces of condoms for Family Planning Programme in May, 2023 and the present stock position of condoms is sufficient to meet the requirement of the Family Planning Programme. CMSS procures condoms for National Family Planning Programme and National AIDS Control Programme.
The Health Ministry also said that currently, NACO is receiving supplies of 75% free condoms from M/s HLL Lifecare Ltd. and is preparing to place remaining 25% quantities for 2023-24 with CMSS on the basis of recent approvals. Further, it said that CMSS has already published tenders in the current financial year for procurement of different varieties of condoms and these tenders are at advance stage of finalization.
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The Economic Times had on 7 December 2023 reported that the central procuring agency had failed to source contraceptives in a timely manner. The report was based on a letter written by the All India Condom Manufacturer Association to the Health Ministry where irregular floating of tenders and their cancellation at the final stage were highlighted by the association.
The association, which includes various companies that manufacture condom brand Nirodh, had highlighted “haphazard handling of procurement by CMSS after it cancelled the condom tenders twice in the current year.”
“Lately, we have seen there has been a pattern of delays in procuring family planning contraceptives including condoms and hormonal contraceptives used by women. To our utter shock, the tenders have been cancelled after multiple rounds of negotiations,” ET quoted from the letter signed by a senior executive with a company that supplies condoms and hormonal contraceptives for the ministry’s family planning programme.
“The manufacturers of condoms, in particular, are facing severe problems of this haphazard handling of procurement by CMSS, which is not only a set back to the entire industry of condom manufacturing but is also adversely affecting the family welfare programme of the government,” ET quoted from the letter.
